March 22, 2016

Holy Week Tues

March 22, 2016:  Tuesday of Holy Week

See 11 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen


Papal preacher Fr. Cantalamessa's 5th Lenten sermon, concluded from yesterday
Unity in charity
It's not enough to be united in evangelization and charitable activity.  If the unity of disciples should reflect the unity between the Father and the Son, it should be a unity of love, the unity of the Trinity.  The three persons are united in their very being, not because they work together.  Scripture exhorts us to “speak the truth in love,” and Augustine affirms “one does not enter into truth except through love.”
The path to unity based on love is wide open before us.  We can't “cut corners” on doctrine (differences need to be resolved patiently and appropriately), but we can forge ahead in charity and so be fully united now.  The true sign of the coming of the Spirit is the love of unity:  “You can be sure you have the Spirit when you cling to unity with genuine charity.”  Paul's hymn to charity takes on new and relevant meaning when applied to love among members of different Christian churches, to our ecumenical relationships:  Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous....  Love does not insist on its own way [or the interests of its own church].  It is not irritable or resentful [rather, it remembers the wrong done to others].  It does not rejoice at wrong but in the right [not in other Churches’ difficulties but in their spiritual success].  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
It's been said, “Love isn't gazing at each other but looking outward together....”  Among Christians, loving one another is looking together in the direction of Christ our peace.  If we go forward together toward Christ, we'll draw closer to each other till we're “one with him and the Father.”  This can happen as a wheel's spokes come together, starting apart at the circumference but getting closer as they near the center till they unite.  On the cross Jesus “broke down the dividing wall of hostility… for through him we have access in One Spirit to the Father.”  Let us do so for the joy of the Heart of Jesus and the world's good.
Read
  • Is 49:1-6  The Lord called me from my mother’s womb:  "You are my servant, through whom I show my glory."  I'm made glorious in the sight of the Lord, my strength!  "I'll make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth."
  • Ps 71:1-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15, 17  "I will sing of your salvation."  Rescue me; be my refuge and give me safety.  You are my rock and hope; from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
  • Jn 13:21-33, 36-38  Jesus, troubled:  “One of you will betray me.”  Peter:  “Who?” / “The one to whom I give the morsel,” then he handed it to Judas Iscariot.  Judas took it, and Satan entered him.  Judas left; it was night.  Jesus:  “Now is the Son of Man glorified...  I won't be with you much longer, and ‘where I go you can't come.’  Peter / Jesus:  “Where are you going?” / “You can't follow me now but will later.” / “Why not?  I'll lay down my life for you.” / “Will you?  You'll deny me.”
    Reflect
      • Creighton:  We know about Easter, but the disciples were likely confused beforehand.  They didn't accept or understand that one of their own would betray Jesus.  Peter was locked into his vision.  We don't know what our future holds, but if we can let go of our attachment to how things “should be,” we’ll be able to face the future as faithful disciples following Jesus' example of humility, patience, compassion, and courage.
        Judas leaves The Last Supper/ Bloch
      • One Bread, One Body:  "Betray or obey?"  The apostles had been together three years but were puzzled about who would betray Jesus.  Nobody asked, "Is it Judas?"  They asked, "Is it I?"  Judas laid the groundwork by his stealing and by turning to others rather than Jesus.  May we humble ourselves and seek Jesus alone....
      • Passionist:  Many voices are heard during Holy Week; today we hear some dark ones.  The Suffering Servant hears voices from the dark of the womb:  the Lord calling him to become light to the nations.  Other voices crowded God's, breathed hostility, and tempted and frustrated him:  are you toiling in vain?  Jesus hears dark voices too:  “It was night” and “…before the cock crows…”, betrayals from Judas and Peter; imagine how they affected him.  The dark voices drowned out the earlier light ones ("Hosanna!").  Rejection, betrayal, disappointment, hurt, sadness are night voices, but Jesus amplifies the light:  “Now is the Son of Man glorified....”
      We too hear voices of light that encourage, affirm, and call us to be God’s voice in our world, but we also hear voices of darkness:  disappointment, betrayal, invitations to cynicism, judgment, giving up, being deaf to voices of light.  The Servant and Jesus teach us to turn away from night voices and cling to the light, to focus on God and respond to his call.  Through our trials we'll recognize the hope and glory that comes with faithfulness.
      • DailyScripture.net:  "Betrayal and faltering loyalty to Jesus":  Jesus' disciples were tested as Jesus prepared to sacrifice his life for them and the world.  Judas' betrayal was cold and calculated, Peter's impulsive, out of weakness and cowardice.  Jesus knew Peter could speak with his heart without thinking through the implications.  But Satan entered into Judas when he rejected Jesus and left to pursue his course; Satan can twist love into hate, holiness into pride, discipline into cruelty, affection into complacency.  We must be on our guard.  The Spirit will give us grace and strength when we're tested....
        • St. Deogratias, bishop, caring pastoral leader.
        • St. Nicholas Owen, carpenter, built priest hiding places, martyr.  “Nobody can be said to have done more good of all those who labored in the English vineyard.  He saved the lives of hundreds.”
      Dress legend
      • 'Hearts with arrows' suspenders:  "He made me a polished arrow" (1st reading)
      • 'Phone' tie bar:  "The Lord 'called' me from birth" (1st reading)
      • 'Sword' tie pin:  "He made of me a sharp-edged sword" (1st reading)
      • 'Rock' tie pin:  "You are my rock" (psalm)
      • 'Hand' tie pin:  "Rescue me from the hand of the wicked" (psalm); post-'Palm' Sunday (subseason)
      • 'International stamps' tie:  "I'll make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth." (1st reading)
      • 'Eyeball' pin:  The disciples looked at one another:  who would betray Jesus? (gospel)
      • 'Coin' button:  "Judas kept the money bag" (gospel)
      • 'Rooster' button:  "The cock will not crow before you deny me" (gospel)
      • 'Night blue' shirt, 'Star' tie pin:  After the betrayal, "it was night" (gospel)
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